


Generation 2, Part 1

by alicecrow6



Series: An ever growing family of Bats and Birds [10]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Batkids Age Reversal, Child Abuse, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:00:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29502375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alicecrow6/pseuds/alicecrow6
Summary: Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, and Cassandra Cain before they take on mantles bigger then themselves, before they become the new Birds of Gotham.
Relationships: Crystal Brown & Stephanie Brown, Tim Drake & Damian Wayne
Series: An ever growing family of Bats and Birds [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1998205
Comments: 6
Kudos: 33





	Generation 2, Part 1

Red Hood was back, the former Blackbird was back, his childhood hero was back.

He was as violent as ever but it didn't diminish Tim’s admiration for the man.

Tim had followed Res Hood’s escapades as an Outlaw with glee, happy to see the man well and saving lives like he had first set out to do.

Though most didn't know that Red Hood had been Blackbird, Tim did. He also knew that he was Damian Wayne, son of Bruce Wayne the Batman.

Simple investigative work but that's beside the point.

No, the point was that Damian Wayne was back in Gotham and Batman was not happy.

Tim remembered when he had first met Damian Wayne five years ago, it was the same day he met Blackbird.

It had been a simple Gala, the type that happens every month or so.

Tim had been young, too young to hold any weight in conversations besides subtle bragging.

So Tim had been left alone, small and young and bored.

It was there that Tim had first met Damian Wayne.

Tim had been seven, Damian had been sixteen.

The teenager was in a corner, a dark cloud of gloom hovering insistently above him.

Tim, the small naive little kid that he was, decided to walk right up to him.

Damian had looked at him in annoyance, asking where his parents were.

Tim completely ignored the question and instead just looked up with innocent wide eyes.

It would be enough to steal the wind from anyone's sails.

Damian groaned and moaned a bit before ultimately picking him up and carrying him in his arms. 

It felt comfortable, safe.

“Tell me if you see your mother or father,” was all he said in reply to Tim’s confused gaze. Tim smiled at him, nodding slightly.

They walked around together the entire time, Damian mocking the other guests and Tim laughing hysterically.

It was the most fun Tim had ever had at a gala.

It all came to a close though when an armed robbery occurred.

Damian hid Tim under a table before sneaking off.

Not a moment later and Blackbird appeared, fighting off the robbers.

Tim didn't see that though, he had been too busy hiding under the table and crying.

It was only after they were all knocked out that a hand reached under the table and pulled Tim out.

Tim had cried and screamed, so sure that the person attached to the hand would hurt him.

He tried to struggle out of their grip before hearing Blackbird’s words of comfort.

The hero held him in his arms and Tim was at once reminded of Damian.

Tim had looked at Blackbird, wondering, wondering, wondering.

Was he- was Blackbird Damian?

Was he the same boy that had spent hours trying to entertain a bored child?

It made more sense than Damian running off to a different hiding place and leaving Tim alone.

Tim adored Damian Wayne.

Tim adored Blackbird.

Tim even adored Red Hood for all that he didn't agree with him.

Because at the base of all three was a boy that tried to get a kid to smile.

* * *

  
Steph winced as her mother pressed a tissue gently to her cheek. It didn't matter how softly she tried to touch her, Steph couldn't help it. 

“You need to be more careful, he could have really hurt you,” her mother whispered urgently, trying to get Steph to understand how slippery a slope she was traveling on.

  
“I know mom, I’ll be less mouthy next time,” Steph said softly, trying to lessen her worry.

  
Her mother’s eyebrows furrowed before straightening out again.

“Just- just don't come home when he’s home. He can't hurt you if you're not there”

“What? Mom no! I can't just leave you alone with him!”

“I’ve handled years with him and I can handle a few more. Don't worry sweetheart, he won't be around forever okay? They’re gonna catch him, they’re gonna send him away,” her mother promised.

“You don't know that!” Steph yelled. Her mother grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. Her fingers dig into Steph's shoulder and she couldn't help but wince. Her mom didn't notice.

  
“Stephanie, please! Not so loud,” her mother whispered harshly, her panicked eyes flickering around the room like Arthur would pop into the room and sock her in the face again.

“Sorry mom, I’m just frustrated,” Steph looked away, trying to discreetly tug herself away.

  
“It’s okay to be angry Steph, it’s okay to be scared, but you can never let yourself get hurt because of those feelings. You deserve so much more than what you're getting baby girl, so much more,” Her mother hugged her tightly against her, her arms a vice grip.

“Why can't we just- why can't we just-” Steph tried to articulate, her words muffled by her mother’s hair. Her mother hushed her, rubbing soothingly at her arms.

“I know Steph, I _know_ , but the only thing protecting us from him is our connection. We support that and he’ll kill you” She tried to explain. Steph wasn't done though.

“We can get the police to-” Her mother cut her off.

“They don't care, sweetheart, no one cares”

“What about- what about Batman?”

“He’s too focused on the bigger crimes than domestic ones” her mother’s voice was tight.

“Then what about- what about Red Hood? He cares, doesn't he? He helps the girls on the streets and he protects everyone in the narrows! Or what about Oracle! they’re always helping people from afar” Steph tries to argue, the stench of hopelessness choking her.

“Maybe,” was all her mother said, her eyes drifting away.

It was all Steph needed to know that the conversation was over.

* * *

  
Cassandra ran. She ran as far as her legs would take her and even further still. She ran until she was so far from where she started that her lungs burned and her legs ached. She only stopped running when she hit a forest.

  
She blinked up at the large trees and the muddy ground. She took a hesitant step forward, then another. She felt the weight on her shoulders lessen slightly at the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves.

  
She found a large tree fallen onto the ground and dug underneath. Her arms were heavy and her skin itched but she kept up at it until there was a hole big enough to fit her. Then she crawled in and fell asleep moments later.

She went on like that for a few more night cycles, hunting towards the day and covering her tracks so _that man_ couldn't find her.

  
She hated seeing the animals die, but she was hungry and she needed to be at top form if she wished to fight _him_ off when he eventually found her.

It was peaceful.

It was peaceful living in the forest with nothing to keep her company but the sounds of the birds.

But it was also lonely.

Because as lovely as the chirping sound, nothing could compare to the way people looked when they were near the people they loved.

She wanted that, she wanted to see someone look at her like that.

So she packed the meat she collected and when on her way.

She found a road a few miles away and walked all the way to a small town.

She hid away in an abandoned house and stole clean clothes from the house next door. When the neighbors weren't home she took a bath and almost groaned from the way the hot water felt.

She had never- she had never even thought-

It felt nice to relax in the warmth, to not think for a moment.

She cleaned herself up and hid back in the abandoned home. 

She cleaned out a small area for herself and slept the whole night away for the first time. She woke up more tired than she started out but it was a good tired.

She wanted to sleep forever, but she knew that she had other things to do.

During the day she’d people watch. She’d watch the way they talked and hugged and laughed and cried and-

Sometimes, when she couldn't fall asleep, she’d sound out some of the words they would say.

They felt strange and heavy on her tongue, like no matter what she did they just couldn't come outright.

It ended up making her more frustrated.

Finally, after weeks of this routine, she grew restless.

She needed to move, she needed to go.

She packed up the clothes she had stolen and grabbed a few bills of money from another house down the street.

She handed the wad of cash to the person manning the bus station. The woman behind the counter looked at her expectantly and Cass pointed to a sign behind her. The woman turned around before looking at her with raised eyebrows.

She said something but Cass didn't know any of the words. Instead, she noticed the way the woman looked concerned, looked confused, looked surprised.

So wherever she was headed wasn't the nicest?

Good. 

Cass nodded her head at the woman and the woman sighed tiredly in response.

She handed Cass a slip of paper and Cass gripped it tightly.

She waited with the crumpled paper in her hand for two hours.

Then the bus got in and Cass jumped to her feet.

She handed the bus driver her slip and the woman waved her in.

Cass sat alone, only two other people on the bus, and neither seemed friendly.

She sat alone on the bus and knew that she was ready to go to a new place.


End file.
